


Love Will Do What It Does

by LonelyThursday



Series: What Was Ours Still Will Be [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Broken Bones, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, It doesn't come up in this one though, Jack weirdly enough is?, M/M, Nurse!Elmer, Race and Albert aren't the best at decision making, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Spot isn't great at feelings, chapter two is FLUFF, pot brownies, trans!race
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-08-23 08:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20239444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyThursday/pseuds/LonelyThursday
Summary: A sequel to And If I'm Gone TomorrowNear the end of Elmer's shift at the hospital his soulmates come in due to getting injured to win a bet.Now with a chapter 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of being a responsible human being, and because I love my boys and I've read all the Spralmer fics
> 
> Takes place about a year after And If I'm Gone Tomorrow

Elmer is twenty-four, he’s working on his residency in New York City, he lives with all three of his soulmates in Brooklyn… life is good. 

Currently Elmer is in the break room of the hospital, helping himself to shitty coffee. His shift is almost done, and it’s just him and Henry hanging out until either someone needs them or their respective shifts end. Neither of them are talking, they’re just existing peacefully in the same space, until Buttons comes in. 

“Hey El, Spot’s looking for you. Hey Hen,” she pecks Henry on the lips before turning back to Elmer.

“Spot’s here?” It’s almost never good when one of his boys comes to visit him at the hospital unexpectedly. “Are Race and Albert with him?”

“I didn’t see them, but he seems agitated, so they might be somewhere else in the hospital.” Buttons replies. Elmer sighs, knowing Race and Albert, one of them probably _was_ in the hospital as a patient. 

“Thanks Buttons, I'll go see what’s up.” Elmer waves goodbye to Henry as he leaves. 

Spot’s waiting for him by the nurses’ station. He _does _look agitated, and his expression is really enough for Elmer to know that _someone_ is a patient. 

“Hey Spottie!” He greets, coming around the counter to give his soulmate a kiss. 

“Hey.” Even the way Spot kisses Elmer displays his agitation. 

“What’s up?” Spot sighs. 

“If you’re not too busy, could you come sit with Albert while I go yell at Race?” That startles Elmer, he was expecting someone to be admitted to the hospital, not for Spot to need him to watch Albert, unless-

“Are they ok?” Elmer asks, concerned.

Spot doesn’t answer, too angry with their other two soulmates to say anything he won’t regret later. Elmer follows behind Spot wordlessly, growing more and more concerned with every step. Eventually They reach a door, which Spot holds open to let Elmer enter first.

Inside the room are two hospital beds, one is unoccupied, but the other has both Race _and_ Albert squeezed into it. Race has a sling on over his left arm and a bandage on his cheek, but he seems fine otherwise. Albert on the other hand, has his right leg in a cast, his left wrist in brace, and shallow scrapes all over his face. This definitely isn’t Elmer’s worst case scenario for finding his boyfriends in the hospital, but it’s still not great.

Race and Albert both jump when the door is opened. Race looks to the door, his smile guilty, but he seems relaxed. Albert looks down at his hands, he also looks guilty, but unlike Race his whole body has gone tense. Elmer knows Albert doesn’t like hospitals, and he doubts Spot’s anger is making him feel any better.

“Heeeey Elly.” Race drawls out slowly, and Elmer’s willing to bet he’s on some painkillers.

“Well, Higgins,” Spot still sounds angry and Elmer hopes he’s not going to make a scene in the middle of his place of work. “Since you seem to feel well enough to leave your bed, whadaya say you and I go for a walk?”

Race actually looks a little nervous about that.

“Well actually I was just gonna keep Albie here company cuz-”

“That’s why I went to find Elmer.” Spot cuts Race off. “C’mon Race.”

Race pouts, but he follows Spot out of the room anyway, kissing both Albert and Elmer on his way out.

“Avenge me if I don’t come back.” Race whispers to Elmer right before leaving the room. Elmer just rolls his eyes, Spot may be mad, but he’d never hurt Race.

Elmer stands near the door awkwardly for a minute, he’s not entirely sure why to say to his boyfriend while they both know that their other two boyfriends are going to go yell at each other. When he finally decides to look at Albert he notices that the ginger has gotten more tense since Race left, curling in on himself as much as he can with his leg in a cast.

“Hey,” Elmer says to get his attention as he crosses the room to take up Race’s spot on Albert’s bed. “Spot’s not really that angry, he’s just worried.”

Albert doesn’t respond, but he does lean into Elmer’s side, relaxing just a little.

“Does your face hurt?” Getting Albert to talk will help distract him from the fact that he’s in a hospital.

“They gave me painkillers.” Albert whispers almost too quietly for Elmer to hear him. Elmer nods, of course they gave him painkillers, he got at least one broken bone… actually Elmer should really check Albert’s chart, Race’s too, so he knows exactly how bad of shape both men are. Elmer leans forward to grab Albert’s chart from the foot of the bed, but Albert’s hand shoots out to grab onto Elmer’s arm, holding as tightly as he can with his wrist in a brace.

“Don’t go!” Albert’s voice is louder this time, he sounds desperate.

“Oh hey, no,” Elmer leans back again, turning so he can look Albert in the eye. Albert’s started to cry so Elmer wipes the tears away. “I wasn’t leaving, Al. I was just going to check your chart. I wasn’t leaving, I promise.”

“Don’t _go.”_ Albert whines again, his voice is quiet again. He’s still crying, so Elmer kisses his forehead before he brings their foreheads together, whispering reassurances the entire time.

They sit like that for several minutes, and eventually Spot and Race come back. Spot stands next to Albert and wraps an arm around his shoulders, while Race drapes himself across Elmer’s back, his slinged arm pressed between them and his right hand carding through Albert’s hair. No one speaks until Albert’s finally stopped crying and pulls back from Elmer a little bit.

“So when can we leave, El?” Race breaks the silence, impatient as ever.

“I don’t know,” Elmer admits. “I haven’t checked your charts yet.”

Race sighs dramatically. “Spotty, would you be a lamb and grab mine and Albie’s charts for Elly here?”

“Why do _I_ have to do it?” Spot grumbles while he grabs the charts.

“Because I’m _injured,_ Spot, don’t you have a heart?” Spot glares at Race as he hands Elmer the charts.

“It’s not my fault you have an incurable case of stupid.” Elmer tunes out the good natured arguing in favor of reading about what Albert and Race have apparently done to themselves. Albert has both a fractured tibia and fibula in the same leg, sprained his wrist pretty badly, and has a minor concussion; Race dislocated his shoulder as well as fracturing his radius in the same arm.

“What were you guys _doing?”_ Elmer asks once he read through both charts. Albert and Race both look sheepish, neither wanting to admit how it was they injured themselves.

“Go on,” Spot encourages. “Tell him how you hurt yourselves.”

“Well… we were hanging out with Jack, Crutchie, and Finch-” Race starts.

“And Finch bet us that we couldn’t both fit on the same penny board-” Albert continues.

“And you _know _I can’t resist a bet, El-”

“So of _course_ we did it-”

“And of _course_ we_ could_ do it-”

“But we weren’t all that great at _steering-”_

“And we _might_ have fallen down some stairs.” When Race finishes, it’s all Elmer can do to keep from laughing. He understands why Spot’s mad, but it’s just such a _Ralbert_ thing to do.

“What-” Elmer tries to pass his laugh off as a cough, but he doesn’t think his soulmates are buying it. “What happened to the fellas?”

“Jack drove us to the hospital, then they all ran away when Spot showed up.” Albert tells him.

“They just didn’t want to be murdered by Spot.” Race explains.

“When I see Finch-”

“Hey Elmer,” Henry opens the door to the hospital room, cutting off whatever threat Spot was going to make against his little brother’s soulmate. “Don’t forget to clock out, your shift’s ended.”

“Oh hey Henry! Yeah I’ll go do that right now.” Elmer pulls himself away from his soulmates who all immediately voice their disapproval of this plan. “I’ll also go see about getting you guys out of here.”

Race cheers and immediately steals Elmer’s place on the bed. Albert mumbles a quiet ‘thank you’, and Spot whispers _“thank god”_ to no one in particular.

Elmer leaves Spot alone with Race and Albert, but Spot’s done being angry… mostly. He still needs to yell at Albert for taking that stupid bet, but he’ll do it once they get home, where Albert is more comfortable with his surroundings. He yelled at Race earlier, but the blond seems to have already recovered and is back to being his normal dumb self. Of course his usual dumb self is probably the best tool they have to distract Albert from the fact that they’re in a hospital. Currently Race is regaling Albert with the tales of other dumb bets he has taken over the years, most of which, Spot has had the unfortunate honor of seeing first hand.

“-And there was one time, in high school, where Jack dared me to-”

“Ok boys! Who’s ready to go home?” Elmer’s return cuts off yet another story of yet another bet that Jack had placed in high school.

“Yes please!” Albert answers immediately.

“Home!” Race yells, Spot’s starting to wonder just how many painkillers they gave him.

“Ok, but if you want to go home today then there are some rules that you _absolutely must follow.”_ Elmer says sternly. Race nods enthusiastically, while Albert nods a little more dejectedly. “There are rules for you too, Spot.”

“But I’m not even hurt!” Spot objects.

“No, but we all know you can’t resist giving these two whatever they want.” Spot sputters, but Race and Albert put on their best pouts and Spot’s whole face goes red, which only helps prove Elmer’s point. “So the ground rules are: take your meds on-time _without_ whining about it, that applies to both of you,” Elmer points at both men sternly, but it comes across more like a puppy pretending to be a guard dog, utterly adorable. “Albert, you have to use a wheelchair for at least a week, then after a follow-up appointment you might be given crutches instead, you are _not_ allowed to try to walk without assistance until you’ve been cleared by a doctor, and that includes no dancing, alright?”

_“Fine.”_ Albert huffs.

“Tony, no trying to prove your shoulder doesn’t hurt but moving it in ways that will _definitely_ make it worse.” Race opens his mouth to object, but Elmer’s glare is more effective this time. “And Spot, no letting them get away with breaking these rules.”

Once all three agree to the rules, Elmer leaves the room to go get a wheelchair. When he returns, Spot helps Albert into the wheelchair, and the four of them head home. Elmer had gotten a ride to work with Henry, so they all pile into Spot’s car, Albert in the front and Elmer and Race in the back.

The ride home is mostly full of Race pointing out every single sign and reading them out loud in funny voices. Spot would be annoyed, but he’s already yelled at Race today, and he’s too tired to do it again.

They’re lucky that their building has an elevator, or else getting Albert upstairs would have taken a lot longer. Once they’re all settled at home, Elmer immediately heads for the showers to wash the hospital smell off of him, which of course causes Race to start whining about how _he_ smells like hospital too, and after a short argument, Elmer agrees to let Race in the shower with him to, at the very least, keep him from getting his cast wet.

“Albert,” Spot starts as soon as Elmer and Race are gone.

“Can you at least help me get on the couch before you start yelling.” Albert asks after realizing he can’t put any weight on his wrist without it hurting. Spot sighs, but helps Albert anyway.

“Look, Albert,” Spot starts again once Albert’s on the couch. 

“Look, _Spot,”_ Albert cuts him off again. “I get that you’re mad that Race and I got hurt because we were doing something because of a bet, but it’s something we probably would have done _anyway,_ and the only reason we got hurt was because we tried it too close to some stairs. I’m _not_ going to apologize, and I’m _not_ going to promise not to do it again. I _will, _however, promise not to try it near stairs again.”

_“Albert!”_

“No!”

They end up having an intense staring contest until Elmer and Race come back. Race immediately drapes himself carefully over Albert, avoiding the broken leg and sprained wrist, while Elmer heads to the kitchen to see if they have any leftovers to eat for dinner, since obviously none of them are going to want to cook.

“I think I’m coming down from the painkillers, guys.” Race mumbles into Albert’s shoulder.

“Good.” Spot says forcefully as he pushes himself to standing. “That’s great Racer, I’m going to go get take-out, I’ll be back later.”

Spot slams the door shut behind him. It doesn’t do much to make him feel better, but it does take a little bit of his pent up energy off. He’s not really sure what he’s angry about. _Yeah, _his soulmates got hurt, and _yeah,_ Albert’s not sorry, but it’s not like it was actually something dangerous, and it’s not like it’s Spot’s place to tell his soulmates what they can and can’t do.

He wanders down to a good Chinese place on the corner, he’s not sure if the others _want_ Chinese food, but it’s what was close so it’s what they’re getting. After placing an order that probably too big for just four people, Spot sits on the curb and does the only thing he ever does when facing emotional turmoil that he can’t talk to his soulmates about… he calls Jack.

_“Hey, Spot! Look, if you’re gonna kill me then I should warn you that I told Smalls that if she doesn’t hear from me by tomorrow morning, then she should tell mama that you killed me.”_ Spot rolls his eyes, of course Jack’s first thought was that Spot was planning his murder.

“Hey Jack, I wasn’t planning on killin’ ya, but way to have a plan in case of emergency.”

_“Oh, good! So what’s up?”_

“I’m not sure.”

_“Great… so you called me for nothing?”_

“No, I mean… I’m kinda frustrated about earlier… I dunno.” Why did he think talking to_ Jack_ would make him feel better?

_“Ok, well think of it this way, if Race and Albert hadn’t had to go to the hospital earlier, would you have been mad? If they had come home from the park just fine, would you have been angry that they had been riding the _same_ skateboard.”_ Oh that’s why.

“No, I guess not.”

_“Then stop pouting, you’re not mad at _them, _you’re mad at gravity and stairs, and I hate to break it to ya, but you can’t murder gravity_ or_ stairs.” _

Spot is about to bite out a sarcastic come-back when he hears his name called from the Chinese restaurant.

“I gotta go, Jack, my food’s ready.” He hung up before Jack could reply. Stupid bastard is a disaster in his own life, but always seems to know what other people should do in _their_ lives.

By the time Spot gets home, he’s not angry anymore, at anything. He’s tired and he just wants to eat dinner with his soulmates and go to bed. When he enters the apartment, Albert’s still on the couch, and Race is still on top of him, but now he’s asleep. Spot doesn’t see Elmer, but he’s sure Elmer’s around somewhere.

Albert looks up from the book he’s reading when Spot enters.

“Hey.” Spot whispers, Albert looks a little weary and Spot’s suddenly very sorry for slamming the door earlier. “I’m sorry I was upset earlier, I’m not angry at you or Race, I was just worried about how you both ended up in the hospital.”

“It’s ok Spot, I get it.” Albert puts the book down and holds his good arm out for a hug. Spot sets the Chinese food on the coffee table, and kneels in front of the couch so that he can hug Albert properly. After a minute, Albert kisses Spot’s cheek then pulls back. “I’m not mad, Spot, and Race isn’t mad, but I think you should go talk to Elmer, you leaving kinda freaked him out. He’s in the bedroom.”

“Right… right I’ll go talk to him, help yourself to the food.” With one last kiss, Spot heads off to the bedroom. 

In the bedroom, Elmer’s sitting in the middle of the bed, knees brought up to his chest, and while he’s not crying anymore, he clearly had been a little earlier. He looks at Spot when he enters and softly whispers “hey.”

“Hey, El.” Spot sits next to him on the bed. “I’m sorry I stormed out earlier, I shouldn’t have slammed the door. I’m not mad at anyone, I promise. Are you alright?”

Elmer nods a little.

“I didn’t know if you were coming back.” He whispers quietly.

“Aw El, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I just needed to walk around a little. I brought Chinese food. C’mon, I got your favorite.”

“Ok,” Elmer uncurls and Spot pulls him into a hug. “You better have gotten dumplings.”

“I got every kind of dumpling they had.” 

“Yay!” Elmer sprints ahead of Spot back to the living room where Albert has woken Race up and both of them have already started on the food.

Spot stands in the doorway for a minute, just watching his soulmates eat Chinese food. A little battered, a little bruised, and still insanely beautiful.

“We’ll eat all the food without you Spot, don’t think we won’t.” Race yells at him, mouth still full of food.

_God he loves them all so much._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't planning on making a second chapter... but I did

Race hums to himself as he waits for the elevator to stop on his floor. He had just gotten the cast removed from his arm yesterday and life is already so much easier, and a lot less itchy. He fumbles his keys a little at the door of his apartment; his left hand doesn’t have quite as much dexterity as it had had before he’d broken his arm, but at least he’s ambidextrous. 

He’s expecting to find Albert and at least one of their other two soulmates in the living room when he finally gets the door open (Albert can’t exactly go to work without the use of his leg, and Elmer doesn’t trust him to not injure himself further without supervision, so there’s always at least one person with him), but he only finds Albert. 

“Tony!” Albert exclaims happily as he pauses his movie. “You’re back!”

“Hey Albie,” Race means down to give Albert a quick peck before he goes to dump his school supplies on the kitchen table. “Where’s the others?”

“They abandoned me,” Albert gives Race and exaggerated pout. Race laughs and takes a seat next to Albert, throwing his arm over the redhead’s shoulders. 

“I’m sorry, babe. It must have been so hard for you.” Albert continues to pout as he nods. 

“Shut up!” Race hears Spot yell from a different room. Spot stomps into the living room with a huff. “I was in the bathroom!”

Race laughs at the insulted look on Spot’s face, and Albert struggles to hold his pout. “You were gone for so _long.”_

“I was gone for _two minutes!” _Spot replies indignantly as he crosses the room to give Race a welcome home kiss. 

“Which was two minutes too many!” Albert curls himself more fully around Race, or as fully as he can with his leg still in a cast. “Race wouldn’t leave me, would you, Tony?”

Race pretends to think about it for a moment. “Nah.”

“Yay!” Albert cheers into Race’s shoulder. Race tightens his arms around his clingy boyfriend, watching the armadillo roll lazily down his bare arm. He recognizes that movement; he turns to Spot with an arched eyebrow. “Ya givin’ Al pot, Spotty? Foreshame.”

“I didn’t _know!”_ Spot sputters, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. 

“Finch dropped off some brownies earlier.” Albert mumbles. 

That perks Race up. 

“Got anymore?” He asks Spot. 

_“No!” _

“‘No’ ya don’t got anymore, or ‘no’ I’m not allowed to have any?”

“You’re not allowed to have any,” Spot tells him, crossing his arms again. “I’m not babysittin’ both of ya.”

“Boo!” Race says at the same time Albert says “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Yes you do,” Spot sighs, clearly having spent way too much time alone with a stoned Albert. “You tried to do a backflip earlier.”

“Albie can do a backflip!” Race objects. 

“His leg is in a _cast, _Race!” Spot throws his hands up in exasperation. “Elmer would _kill_ me if I let him do a backflip!”

“Elmer couldn’t kill a fly, Spotty,” Race rolls his eyes at the ridiculous claim. “Let alone _you.”_

“Elmer wouldn’t kill Spot,” Albert mumbles, burrowing his face deeper into Race’s shirt. “Spot’s ‘is favorite.”

“WHAT!?” Race screeches. _“I’m _Elly’s favorite!”

“No,” Spot says simply, Albert just shakes his head. Race gapes at Spot, offended at the insinuation that he’s not Elmer’s favorite. Of course Elmer doesn’t play favorites, but that’s _entirely_ beside the point. 

“Well I’m _your _favorite, ain’t I Albie?” 

“Yeah.”

Spot rolls his eyes again. “He’s just saying that because you’re cuddling him.”

“I want cuddles, bitch.” Albert mumbles. 

“You heard him, Spotty. Cuddle us, bitch.” With a final roll of his eyes, Spot slides in next to Race on the couch, shoving one arm between Race and the back of the couch. 

“There. Happy?” Spot asks. 

“Hungry!” Albert whines

“You _just _said you wanted cuddles!”

“I _do! _But I’m _hungry!”_

“I’m hungry too,” Race adds, partially to be annoying, partially because he _is_ hungry. 

“Not you too!” Spot sighs. “You’re not even high.”

“I’ve been at school _all day, _Spotty,” Race whines, giving Spot his best puppy dog eyes. “I haven’t eaten!”

_“Fine!_ What do you want?” Spot sighs, groaning dramatically as he pushes himself up from the couch. 

“Donuts!” Albert yells excitedly. 

“Yeah!” Race agrees, equally as excited.

Spot grabs his keys off the table, but before he can respond to his soulmates, the front door opens. 

“I’m home!” Elmer yells, as if they can’t all see him from the couch. “And I brought donuts!”

“Yay!” Albert cheers while Race and Spot look at Elmer like he’s grown an extra head. “Elmer’s my new favorite.”

“How… how did you-“ Race sputters, ignoring Albert’s comment in favor of gaping at Elmer as he puts the donut box down on the coffee table. 

“How did you know to get donuts?” Spot finished the question as Elmer shrugs his coat off. 

“Albert texted me,” he replies, showing them his phone. Spot and Race’s shock is beginning to become concerning to him. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Albert!” Spot yells as Albert helps himself to a donut. “Why did you ask me to get donuts if you already had Elmer gettin’ donuts?”

“Then we’d have _twice_ as many donuts.” Albert replies, settling back into Race with a grin. 

Elmer gives Albert a funny look for a moment, then realization crosses his face and he turns to Spot. 

“You gave him _weed!?”_

“NO!” Spot immediately defends himself. 

“How could you be so irresponsible!?”

“It wasn’t like I _knew!”_

Race watches Elmer and Spot continue to argue for a minute before he tries to discreetly get Albert’s attention. Albert lifts his head up from Race’s shoulder just enough to look at his face. 

“Pass me a donut.” Race whispers. Albert stares at him for a moment, then, as comprehension lights up his face, he nods. Race and Albert continue to eat donuts while Spot and Elmer argue about the pot. 

“Tired,” Albert mumbles into Race’s shoulder after finishing his donut. 

“Nap time then!” Race declares, lying back on the couch and taking Albert with him. Spot and Elmer can take care of dinner once they’re done arguing. “Night, Albie.”

Albert just hums in response. 

“-Not to mention how the weed could react with his pain meds!”

“I haven’t given him _any_ pain meds since I realized he was high!”

Race grins to himself as he closes his eyes; sooner or later Spot and Elmer would realize that their argument was pointless as both of them are against giving Albert weed in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be another fic in this universe tomorrow for Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> Cuz ya know, Sky and Ben riding around on a penny board  
Also they would clearly refer to each other as Sprace/Ralbert/Spelmer/Spalbert/Relmer/Almer when they're talking about only two of them cuz they're NERDS


End file.
